JENNIFER LOVING

I was a child when my father first introduced art and drawing to me. He had paintings of castles from his birthplace, Scotland hanging in our house. One day he drew a horse for me and I was absolutely mesmerized and tried to duplicate it. This experience struck a passion inside me to draw, paint, and create art.  

 

As an artist I struggle with insecurity, thinking that what I create is not good enough. This has led to many years of not creating art, but the urge to create art was burning inside of me. I decided to teach myself to paint. For over 20 years, I painted in acrylics, participated in collaborative art shows and submitted pieces for festivals. Gradually, I gained more confidence, but I felt that there was still something lacking in my art. 

 

In 2020 I started taking classes at the College of San Mateo, painting a variety of subjects such as portraits, still life and landscapes. The skills I’ve learned have not only increased my abilities but also at the same time have lessened some of my insecurities. One of my favorite techniques is Grisaille, a painting method using gray monochrome, where typically three colors, white, ultramarine blue, and burnt sienna are used. Learning this technique and taking academic classes have helped me too paint in ways I could have never imagined. 

 

The biggest influence on my art is my father and the Scottish Highlands. My father passed away in 2018 and painting has been a way of healing for me. I was impressed with his paintings and skills when I was younger. We traveled every summer as a family to our small cottage called Springlea in The Braes of Glenlivet, in the Highlands of Scotland. This was a magical place with picturesque rolling purple hills full of blooming heather, green fields, and an ever-changing sky. I would walk up the hills daydreaming while staring at the sky, the stars, and the northern lights.  My love for Scotland and its beauty are a guiding force in my paintings, and the reason I create dynamic skies that evoke emotions and landscapes that have a surreal calming nature. 

 

The recent loss of my father has influenced my current paintings because I know how much he loved the Highlands and it makes me feel closer to him by painting a place that he loved.  My recent landscape paintings of Scotland are a way of honoring my dad’s memory and his love for the country.